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Barack Obama has said his heart went out to British soldiers killed in Afghanistan after eight troops died in the space of 24 hours.

The US president praised the “critical” contribution Britain had made to the international coalition in Afghanistan, while warning that they could expect more tough fighting in the weeks ahead.

President Barack Obama has said his heart goes out to UK soldiers killed in Afghanistan

“My heart goes out to those British soldiers,” he said in an interview on Sky News.

“Great Britain has played an extraordinary role in this coalition, understanding that we cannot allow either Afghanistan or Pakistan to be a safe haven for al-Qaeda, those who with impunity blow up train stations in London or buildings in New York.

“We knew this summer was going to be tough fighting … we still have a long way to go.”

Mr Obama said the British government had committed forces to Afghanistan because it understood the connection with terrorist attacks on the West.

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“The contribution of the British is critical,” he said.

“The likelihood of a terrorist attack in London is just as high, if not higher, than it is in the US, that’s the reason why Tony Blair and now Gordon Brown have made this commitment. It is not because they wish to put their young men and women in harm’s way.”

He said that the international strategy in Afghanistan would have to be reviewed after the country’s presidential elections next month.

“All of us are going to have to do an evaluation after the Afghan election to see what more we can do. It may not be on the military side, it may be on the development side.”